Bad Cat Classic Cat

This amp does not sound like any fender deluxe I know and Ive known a few.Its sounds virtually identical to my 61 vox ac30 non top boost. The sound of the badcat at half volume matches it with my vox at about the same level. If anything the badcat is a little more focussed and it is possible to dial in a bit more treble.

Not many features but all very usable. High and low inputs, tone and volume controls. Interesting but the original tweed deluxe is actually a bit more flexible with seperate Normal and Bright channels. I like the ability to jumper the two. This amp doesn;t have that capability. I bought the first year model which was an 06. 2 X 6V6, 5ar4, 12at7, 12AX7. Where as a Tweed Deluxe might not have enough power for a full band situation. This amp has plenty of vol and holds together nicely when cranked. Not a high gain amp....think bluesy rock. Bets used with a boost to kick in natural breakup.

If you can get one used for around $1000 it's a heck of a deal for a class A handwired very giggable amp.

Great low watt amp designed for natural breakup. This amp shines around 2 oclock. Sounds great with single coils and HB's Obviously a Les Paul will push this amp to break up much quicker than a tele or strat. Both sound great through this amp.

Simple design...point to point wiring and a bomber cab Bad Cat's rule for durability. They do run very hot and I've found GZ34/5AR4 rectifiers do not last long in these amps. I play every day for at least and hour with 3-4 hour rehearsals twice a week and gigs on the weekend. I've found I can get about 6-8 months out of a JJ GZ34 on any Bad Cat amp. I've had worse luck with NOS GZ34's which goes against what any NOS dealer will tell you (that NOS tubes should last longer). I haven't found this to be the case with Bad Cat amps. For the record I've owned two of these amps...one used and one new. The used one had an issue with the low input (random static...) never did figure it out but I think some liquid spilled into the input at one point an oxidized....

James is top notch at Bad Cat. He's super busy but will find a way to work with you to solve your problem. Great guy always returns calls and emails.

I've been playing for 20 plus years... Bad Cat makes a great amp and if you need a low wattage amp that you can gig every weekend this is a good option. It's simple...durable...lightweight (for a Bad Cat 50 lbs) and sounds great.

there is not that many features on this amp but that is the beauty of it. you would be suprised how much that tone knob can shape your sound.

this is the best sounding amp i have ever heard. i went into the shop with the perfect sound in my head and when i playyed the Classic Cat i foundit. it is very clean but when you turn up the volume it breaks up very nicly. the amp comes with one 12ax7 and one 12au7. if you replace the 12au7 with a 12ax7 the amp will break up alot faster. Ten Thumbs Up.

No problems so far.

i left a message for Mark Sampson and he himself called me back the next day. they are great people who just want to make the best amps around. very awesome people/

i sold a Marshall Jcm900 half stack and a Mesa .50 calibur Half stack to pay for this combo. it is the only amp i need.

The Classic Cat is as simple as it gets - only two knobs: Volume & Tone. You might think that this is limiting but the amp responds amazingly well to input so the volume control on your guitar as well as your fingers work as controls to shape the sound. Reverb is not available but is also not needed - this thing really chimes. Only thing which could be desireable is an effects loop but I will not doc it any points for this as this amp is meant to as a plug and play machine. It is not a computer compressed rack monster. This simplicity is what all true amps should aspire to be.

I bought this amp for its beatifull power amp break-up and it hasn't disappointed yet. The amp breaks up quickly but cleans up very nicely with your guitars volume knob. With three clicks on the volume dial the amp is pretty much at full volume (which is gig'n level) and then further increments just increase the shape of the gain. You can get a lot of variations of non compressed crunch (from blues/jazz to classic rock - no heavy stuff). I use a Timmy as a clean boost and it pushes it perfectly with no added noise. I have a Keeley BD-2 and it will add noteable noise when pushing the amp as a clean boost but adds some nice extra overdrive when the distortion is moderately added.
I A/B'd this amp to my HotCat for break up and it easily beat the HotCat which is a tone machine - that says a lot about the Classic Cat. The HotCat is much better in the preamp distortion area as the Classic Cat is not a high gain amp.

Appears to be built like a tank. Bad Cat quality is amazing.

This is my second BadCat and I havn't had a need for support to date.

I've been playing for 20+ years and it has taking me most of that time to really appreciate quality tone. It you are looking for a simple rig that has non compressed crunch that cleans up perfectly, this amp is it, end of story. I would buy another in a heart beat.

This is a 2006 Classic Cat 1X12 combo. The speaker is a celestion made for Bad Cat. The amp is very versatile and I've used it for country, blues, classic rock and jazz. It won't do metal very well, you would need a pedal for that. It has one channel. The front panel consists of a volume knob, tone control, two inputs, off/on switch and a standbye switch. The back panel has a speaker jack, extension cab jack, fuse holder and power cord jack (cord is detachable). Iv'e used this amp in contempoary praise and worship in church, and in small to meduim venues. Iv'e also used it on a couple of outdoor gigs. Iv'e had no problems keeping up with the band on stage, though I did mike it for the outdoor gigs. Its all tube with two 6V6's for outputs, a tube rectifier and two preamp tubes, a 12AX7 and a 12AY7. Changing the 12AY7 for a 12AX7 gives a little more volume and makes it more aggressive. I have it a 7 for features because of its simplicity and because it doesn't have reverb. If your an older more mature "plug in and play ugy" it would probably be much more appealing. I gave it a 7 because there is no reverb. A bass tone control would help also.

The sound and concept is similar to my tweed deluxe, but the distortion comes on more gradually. It sounds, for lack of a better definition, a ballsy, agressive deluxe reverb. The distortion is similar to a tweed deluxe also. It cleans up well when you turn down the guitar volume. I use an American Standard tele and a PRS swamp ash special. Sounds good with both of them. It is a reasonalably quiet amp.

It appears to be built very well. The pre amp tubes are in the standard metal cans and the rest of the tubes are all shock mounted on rubber washers. I usually play with two amps anyway, but I wouldn't be afraid to play without a backup. Iv'e had no problems with it so far.

Although when I bought the amp the Bad Cat website was down, they were good about answering all my questions over the phone. It would have been helpful to have a manual. None is available at this time as far as I know. Not sure how long the warranty is.

Iv'e been a player for over 30 years and have owned all kinds of guitars and amps over the years. The Classic Cat is dedinately one of the best I've owned! It is a real turn it up and play amp. Very simple to operate and very sweet classic tone.

Would be nice if there were reverb or maybe a bass and treble tone control, but the tone is so sweet that its probably not needed. It basically has a volume and a tone control and a high and a low input. The back panel has a direct out, and an external speaker jack. Very simple layout but I'm of the opinion that if an amp is voiced right in the first place, there isn't much else thats needed. This is a new model for Bad Cat, this year if I understand correctly. Iv'e been playing for over 35 years and I haven't heard anything quite like it.

To me, the amp sounds basically like a beefed up Deluxe reverb. It It gradually gets more distorted as you turn it up. Definitly loud enuf to gig with. At full bore, the distortion is similar to a Tweed duluxe. This is more in the blues/classic rock category, in my opinion. I use it for jazz, country, blues, and classic rock. Seems to take pedals well. I use an Ibanez electric archtop, a PRS swamp ash special and a Fender American Std. tele. Is is also reasonably quiet. As I said before, it gradually gets more distorted as you turn it up and doesn't stay clean like say, a Twin reverb or even a Deluxe reverb. A very unique sound. Never heard anything like it. Very sweet.

Haven't had the amp long enough to comment on reliability issues, but like all Bad Cats, its built very well. The two preamp tubes are in the standard metal cans and the output and rectifier tubes are mounted on rubber shock mounts. They should take a lot of abuse. I wouldn't be afraid to use it without a backup.

Bad cat's website has been down for awhile, but when I talked to them on the phone, they were very helpful and answered all my questions.

Iv'e been a player for over 30 years and have played on dozens of amps. This particular amp has a very unique, sweet sound and voicing. I traded my Dr. Z Z28 for it. The tonality of these two amps is similar, but the Classic Cat has a little more fender shimmer.